HS2 East has the power to be genuinely transformative

20 October 2017

Turner & Townsend’s role in bringing together the partners behind proposals for the eastern leg of the HS2 rail line was recognised in Parliament this week.

Lilian Greenwood MP, the Chair of the House of Commons Select Committee, praised Turner & Townsend’s support for a series of briefings which have helped HS2 East make the case for investment to businesses all the way from London to Edinburgh.

She spoke out at a meeting of the HS2 East Local Authorities held in Parliament, the culmination of a programme of meetings that has also taken in Newcastle, Leeds and Edinburgh.

Speaking to a group which also included business leaders from Scotland, the North East, Leeds and the Midlands, she said:

"We’re all very grateful for the support Turner & Townsend has provided in facilitating these meetings. As a project, the HS2 Eastern leg has the power to be genuinely transformative. It pulls together millions of people and helps to regenerate city centres. We know that transport enables businesses to succeed and at a time of uncertainty investment in transport can provide real confidence for growth. The message from today will be to just crack on and get this done.”

Bill McElroy, UK MD Advisory at Turner & Townsend, was among speakers at the Parliamentary event. He said: “If we are going to create the synergies we have seen in the major transport projects we have supported overseas then we have to help join the centres of excellence that are being created within and around our cities.

“We have to build on the collaboration we are seeing with HS2 East and achieve staying power. As we have offices in the cities along the proposed route we know the groundswell of support that there is for this project, and we have to keep pushing together to make it happen.”

The Bill supporting Phase 2 of HS2 is due to go before Parliament in 2019, with work continuing on route approval and the design stage.